Means for operating musical mutes



Oct. 7, 1930. H. BERNARD 1,777,323

MEANS FOR QPERATING MUSICAL MUTES Filed Jan. 15, I927 Patented Oct. 7,1930 I Q I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY BERNARD, F CHAMBERSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA MEANS FOR OPERATING MUSICAL MUTES Application filed January13, 1927. Serial No. 161,004.

This invention relates to means for ennates a musical mute, which is inthe form of ablingamusician or player to operate amute aconical plug,designed to be inserted in of a wind instrument employed in the prothehorn bell of a musical wind instrument duction of musical sounds ortones, from a and have a modifying action upon the sound point distantto the mute itself, so that the waves emitted thereby in normal playing.65

player can keep the correct time in the pro- This conical mute may be ofany standard duction of the musical score being played, construction.with the least effort, uncertainty and short- In the ordinary practiceit is necessary est possible movement of his hand or hands that a playergrasp this mute with one hand, 16 from the control of the operatingparts of the force the same into the horn bell,.and at the instrumentitself. same time continue playing in step with the V The inventionparticularly resides in the music being played by other musical players,provision of a mute for a musical Wind inand by himself. Thisnecessarily involves strument, wherein the mute is supported in a lossof position of one hand at the controls 15 an elevated position at oneend thereof, S0 of the instrument, and an interruption of that theplayer can locate the mute Within operation of the complete movementsrethe horn bell while continuing to play, by quired' by such removal'ofthe hand required simply forcing the horn bell over the mute. to graspand insert the mute.

With the above and other objects in View To provide for uninterruptedcontinuity 26 the invention consists in certain new and of playing andincrease the efficiency obuseful constructions,combinations and ar-,tainable from the use of a mute, so that inrangements of parts, clearlydescribed in the sertion and removal may be better timed. followingspecification and fully illustrated without disturbance of playing, Iprovide in the accompanying drawings, in which asupport for the mute inthe form of a rod 25 Fi 1 is a view in perspective showing the or wire6. The upper end of this rod or wire preferred form of mute support andcontrol is shaped in the form of a relative large U, therefor. so thatan upper horizontal arm 7 is formed Fig. 2 is an end view showing themanner and a lower horizontal arm 8 is also proin which the wire supportfor the mute is vided, which is extended thence to provide 30interlocked with the end of the mute. an upright carrier arm 9. Theupper arm Fig. 3 is a detail side view of a tapered 7 is formed with afriction producing spring wire end. loop 10, the free terminal leg 10 ofwhich Fig. 4 is a side view of a connecting plate is deflected outwardlyto provide an operattherefor. ing handle. i 35 Fig. 5 is an end viewthereof. The larger end of the conical mute 5 is Fig. 6 is a side viewof another connecting equipped with a metal strap 11, securedplate.thereto by fasteners or otherwise, and this Fig. 7 is an end viewthereof. is provided with a central eye through which Fig. 8 is a detailof a strap. the spring loop is forced, thusproviding an 4 Fig. 9-is aside view of another form of easy and simple detachable connectionbemusical mute, showing a spring closed valve tween thev supporting rodor wire and the for the axial opening thereof. mute, by means'of whichvarious mutes may Fig. 10 is a side view of a musical wind be employed,by removing one and placing instrument showing the modified musicalanother in position.

45 mute in muting position within the horn bell The lower end of the rodor support is taof the instrument, and the means carried by peredand isinserted in the elongated eye 12 and detachable from the instrument foropprovided on the clamp 13. This clamp conerating the mute valve from alocation dissists of a piece of sheet metal which is folded tautthereof. upon itself to provide companion jaws, and

50 Referring to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, 5 desigthese jaws are held inclamped relation to the uprightpost or rod l l of a musical stand bymeans of the connecting strap15, and a clamping screw or fastener. Whenthe jaws of the clamp 13 are clamped to the post the tapered end of therod will be frictionally gripped, so that the mute will be supported inthe required elevation from the music stand.

It is general practice to locate the music stand an easy ready distancefrom the player, giving ample room for the necessary movements andden'ionstrative gestures of the instrument being played. By means of myinvention the mute is supported in convenient relation to the instrumentand by simply forcing the horn bell of the instru ment over the mute itmay be located in proper muting position within the horn bell. By areverseaction the mute may be with- '-drawn, as by moving the instrumentaway from the mute. This operation is obviously conducted withoutrequiring the player to change the location of either hand upon thecontrols of the instrument, as the instrument is pushed over the mute byan arm and body movement, and the use of the hands in operating thecontrols of the instrument is not modifiedin the least. is thusprevented.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I illustrate a modified construction of the means foroperating mutes, wherein a mute constructed with a central axial openinis employed. This type of mute 5 is well known. It is the practice ofmany players to move the hands back and forthover the outer end of themute, to obtain the rapid changes in tone quality de sired, and withothers to manipulate a valve at the end of the mute, which is always alittle further from the end of the bell, of course some distance fromthe Zone of the controls or, keys where the hands of the player mustoperate, in the production of music in correct time and tone.

In this case distant control is obtained by means of a valve 16, whichis connected to the end of the mute 5 by means of a hinge 17. The valve16 is provided with an arm 16 which projects laterally ot the mute andoutwardly of the horn bell itself, so that the end of the operating rod18 may engage it. This rod is held in working relation to the valve arm16" by means of a spring closed clip 19, which is of the standard typesold in stationary stores for holding magazines and the like, andconsists of a pair of spring closed jaws adapted to grip the smallreinforcing flange conventionally provided on the edge of the horn bell.This clip 19 is provided musical wind instrument 21, by means of th eplate 22, which is provided with an eye 22 Distortion of playing v andis shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7. This plate is also formed with aseries of holes 22 which are designed to provide change of adjustmentwith the screws or fasteners used to hold the plate on the wind tube oftheinstrument, and also with the strap 28, which is clamped by thescrews to the wind instrument.

The lower end of the rod 18 carries a thumb piece 24 and between thisthumb piece and the eye of the plate 22 a coil spring 25 is positionedon the rod.

'By means of the spring pressed rod the player by a simple movement ofthe thumb in normal playing position, can vibrate the mute valve, bypushing the rod, which will be withdrawn by its own spring, and-by theaid of the spring for operating the mute valve.

The entire device shown in Figs. 9 to 10 may be readily detached fromthe musical in strument.

' I claim: I

1. The combination with a musical wind instrument having a horn bell, ofa. mute insertable in the bell, and means for supporting the mute at oneend in an elevated position, whereby the player of the instrument iaybodily push the horn bell over the mute and continue playing withoutinterruption.

2. The combination with a mute for a 11111 sical windinstruinent of asupport secured to one end of the mute and connectible in place to holdthe mute in extended position whereby the horn bell of a musicalinstrument may be pushed over the mute without engaging the supportthereof.

3. A support for a musical wind instrument mute consisting of a wirehaving a connecting loop-on its upper end and'a pair of horizontallydisposable arms extending from the loop and a vertically disposable armextending from the arms, a conical mute connectible with the loop, andmeans for adjustable connecting the wire with a musical instrumentstand.

HARRY BERNARD.

